Ghost Whisperer  A Burning Desire
by Azzamonkeyman
Summary: A badly burnt ghost is haunting Melinda. The man died in a house fire that was reported as an accident, but the man himself tells Melinda that the fire was started on purpose. Can she discover the truth and let this man cross over to the other side? R&R!
1. Chapter 1

"I can't wait until tonight!" Melinda smiled merrily, pouring the contents of a bag of candy into an orange bowl. Jim walked into the room, buttoning his shirt and yawning.

"Why, what day is it?" He asked, stretching his arms up tiredly. Melinda lifted the bowl and shook it.

"Oh my god, it's Halloween?" Jim suddenly realized.

"No, this is your breakfast!" Melinda told him sarcastically. "How could you forget?"

He walked over to his wife and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder, inhaling the flowery smell of her hair. "Well, when you live each day of your life with a woman who can talk to the dead, you kinda feel like every day is Halloween." He told her, kissing her neck slowly.

She smiled, and pulled away, not wanting to get carried away by the tall, dark handsome man she called husband. "Yes, but the difference is, _my _ghosts ask for my help, and the ghouls we see tonight will ask for our candy." She told Jim, very matter of fact about it all.

"Oh great! Let's give away our candy stash away to some strangers! Just don't touch my jelly beans! They're mine!" He moaned jokingly, trying not to laugh, and walked into the sitting room.

She loved this day. She always had. It was the one day where she felt that everyone could accept the dead, and everyone could see them walking the streets. Not just her. Even if it _was_ only one night a year. And she loved giving out candy to the local kids and hearing them tell their jokes. It made her feel all warm inside and forget about her gift, just for one night of the year.

"Are you working tonight, Jim?" Melinda asked her husband. She waited on a reply. There was no answer.

"Jim? Did you hear me?" she asked again, putting apples into a green bowl on the kitchen table. There was silence… an eerie silence.

She set down the apples and slowly walked towards the hallway door. "Jim?" There was no reply.

She approached the door of the sitting room and looked in to see if Jim was in there. She thought he was, but he wasn't. She was confused. She was sure he had just walked through here.

"Jim, where are you?" she turned round to walk back into the kitchen and screamed. A face was staring at her coldly, its eyes blood red and its skin brown and rotting, with parts of the flesh peeling off and exposing the bone underneath. The teeth were yellow and cracked and its sharp tongue pointed out at Melinda. It had long messy strands of hair that hung over it's face like cob webs. Melinda closed her eyes and shook with fear, then heard a familiar laugh.

"You should've seen your face!" A voice said mockingly, still laughing.

Melinda opened her eyes and saw the creature grabbing its scalp and stretching the flesh upwards, until its head began to come away from its neck. As the hellish face came off, a beautifully handsome face appeared from the shadows of the mask.

"I thought you were used to seeing dead people?" Jim asked her, crippled with laughter.

"Jim! I am going to kill you!" Melinda shouted, hitting his arm irritably.

"No need, I already look dead when I'm wearing this!" He held up the disgusting mask and Melinda slapped it. The rubber wobbled as her hand hit it.

Jim walked off, still laughing. Melinda smiled and shook it off. "_I should've known_." She thought to herself as she headed back into the kitchen. Jim had a bunch of old masks in the loft, but Melinda didn't know just how gruesome they looked. "_It's a good thing dead people don't look that bad when I see them_." She thought thankfully.

She went back to her apples and began placing the rest of them in the bowl. The kids probably wouldn't eat the fruit, but it was worth a shot. Just then, Melinda saw something move at the corner of her eye. She looked round and into the hallway. She couldn't hear anything, but she could see Jim walking up the stairs.

"So as I was saying, are you working tonight?" she asked again.

Jim stopped halfway up the stairs and slowly turned his head. His face looked different, but as he turned it further, Melinda noticed that half of his face was black and burnt, with raw bleeding flesh exposed underneath the realistic wounds.

"Oh, another mask! Do you collect them just to scare me?" Melinda laughed, going back to her apple organizing.

"What did you say, honey?" Jim asked, as he walked into the kitchen from the bathroom. Melinda looked up in shock, seeing her husband passing by, and then looked back to the stairs to see the man with the badly burnt face still staring at her intently. She dropped the bowl of apples and it smashed as it hit the floor. The apples scattered like marbles as Jim jumped with fright.

Jim ran over to his wife who was standing completely still, looking almost paralysed with fear, staring at the empty staircase. "What's wrong Melinda? What can you see?"

Melinda blinked and could no longer see the man. He had vanished, which was not a surprise, but his injuries were horrid. She came back to earth, suddenly noticing the mess on the floor.

"Oh my, I'll get a brush!" She said suddenly, trying to distract herself.

"Melinda, I know you well enough to know when you're seeing something. What was it?"

Melinda looked up at her husband, her eyes deep in thought and still in shock. "I think we have an early trick or treater…"


	2. Chapter 2

"Well did he say anything?" Delia asked Melinda, who still seemed shaken by what she had seen that morning.

"No, he just . . . stood there and stared at me." Melinda took another sip of her tea.

"Well you're a lot braver than me, that's for sure! If I had seen something like that you would be planning _my_ funeral!" Delia informed her jokingly.

"Trust me, I just about dropped dead with fright as well. I never see spirits that look so. . ."

"Dead?"

"Well yeah! To put it rather bluntly. He looked dead, and that's what shocked me."

Delia sat down behind the cash register and stirred her cup of tea, thinking of how horrible that man must have looked. "Well what does that mean? When they look that bad?"

"I have no idea. Maybe it just depends on how they died, or how they feel."

"You should ask Eli, he'll know why it is. In fact, is there anything he doesn't know?"

Melinda grinned and giggled, "Yeah, he doesn't know how to work his coffee machine yet!"

"The one you bought for him on his Birthday 2 years ago?" Delia raised an eyebrow.

"Yup! The very one. After 2 years of fiddling with the buttons and reading the manual over and over again, he has decided just to use the coffee machine as more of a decoration than an appliance."

The 2 woman laughed at the comical value of Eli's stupidity when it came to normal everyday things _like _coffee machines, and yet when it came to the supernatural he was an expert.

"He even had his Dad shouting at him when he sat the coffee machine on the kitchen counter upside down, and was about to switch it on." Melinda couldn't breathe over laughing.

"His Dad? The one that died of a heart attack?" Delia asked curiously.

"Yeah, even _he _came back from the light to give Eli a lecture about how useless he was in the kitchen!"

As the friends laughed together the bell over the door of their Antique shop rang out. They both looked up to see a woman walking in. She was very thin and tall, but it was probably her extremely oversized high heels, and her short black skirt which made her legs look very long. She was wearing a blouse that looked as if it would burst with her rather large (and fake looking) breasts underneath. She had black sun glasses on, and her brunette hair was so hair sprayed in place that it looked plastic. It hardly moved as she walked into the shop, looking very out of place in her surroundings. She basically, in a brief summary, was a very inappropriate looking business woman.

"Good afternoon, can I help-" Delia began to ask, but was interrupted by the stranger.

"Do you guys sell stuff?" She asked, looking around the shop in a confused way.

Melinda sat down her tea and answered sarcastically, "No, we just keep these Antiques in here for people to look at."

Delia held in her laughter at Melinda's mocking reply. But the woman didn't seem to detect the sarcasm.

"Oh, so you're, like… a museum?"

"No, my friend here was only joking. Yes, we sell Antiques. Were you looking for something in particular?"

"Hmmmmm, well I don't know what they'll like?" She said, tapping a long red fingernail on her chin, seemingly thinking.

"What who will like?" Melinda asked politely, wanting to do her job and help the woman.

"My parents in-law. My husband just died, which is their son, and they're kinda sad cause the funeral is in a few days, so I thought I would buy them a gift."

Delia looked round at Melinda, with confusion on her face and said, "How thoughtful of you." Probably not sounding as truthful as she could have.

Melinda walked forward and stood next to Delia. "Wait a minute, your husband has just died?"

The woman nodded, bringing out a tube of lipstick from her purse with her black leather gloved hand.

"When?"

"A few days ago." She told her, applying the dark red paint onto her pouted lips. The crimson made her pale face look even paler.

"He died a few days ago? You don't seem very sad…" Melinda said curiously.

Delia nudged her and made a face as if to say "_What kind of a thing is that to say?"_

"Oh no, don't get me wrong, I'm devastated, but it's been a few days, so I'm . . . over it." She informed Melinda, almost happily.

Melinda shook her head, feeling shocked yet again. Where was the emotion? She went back to her cup of tea at the cash register.

"Please, take a look around and see what you think you're in-laws would like." Delia told her cheerily. The woman did just that and began wondering around the maze of old furniture and elegant looking ornaments.

"What was that about?" Delia asked her work partner in a hushed tone.

"Her husband died a few days ago and she's 'over it'… Is that normal?"

"Well, maybe she's quick to move on, or they weren't getting along?"

"It's just strange. If Jim died I wouldn't leave the house for months, or dress myself up like a Barbie doll on steroids, and look at her!" Melinda tried to whisper, but gradually grew louder, almost catching the woman's attention.

"Well we can't judge our customers. After all, they keep us in business, and she's buying her in parents in law a gift. That's kind, isn't it?"

"Well yeah, but-" Delia placed a finger over Melinda's lips to stop the flow of never-ending thoughts flowing out of her mouth.

"No buts, for once! For today, just today, no suspicious theories about people. Okay?"

Melinda was silent for a second, and then nodded reluctantly. Delia thanked her and then went over to help the woman who was gazing at a candle holder as if she had never seen one before.

Melinda walked into the storage room at the back of the shop to use the phone. She was about to call Eli when suddenly she felt a warmth rush past her. She looked up to see nothing. Delia and the mystery woman were talking away in the front of the store, and Melinda was on her own in the back. She ignored it and walked closer to the phone. When she was about to grab the phone it rose up into the air and hovered for a minute. Just as Melinda was watching it in astonishment the device shattered with a loud bang. Melinda screamed as she watched the telephone fall to pieces whilst floating in mid-air.

Delia ran through to see what the screaming was about. "What happened, what's wrong?" She walked in closer and saw the phone lying in many parts on the ground.

The woman peered her head into the doorway nosily and listened to the shopkeepers.

"That was not me Delia! I don't know who it was but I never even touched it!"

"Do you think it was-" Delia was interrupted yet again by the woman.

"Well, I'm glad you can take better care of the things out here." She retorted snidely.

Melinda looked down at the pieces of the phone. Someone wanted her attention, and it wasn't someone who was keen on using a phone…


	3. Chapter 3

Melinda knocked on the door of Eli James' office. There was a sticker of a pumpkin with a scary face stuck onto the front of his door. At least he was making an effort. The door slowly began to open and there stood Eli, with a bowl of candy.

"Aren't you guys a bit early?" He looked up and saw Melinda. "Oh! It's you?"

"You're giving out candy from your office?" Melinda asked, rather puzzled. "I didn't think kids would wonder into office buildings and pester office workers for treats?"

"Well they don't, but Tom down the hall brings his kids up here a lot, and if they're here tonight and I don't have candy for them, then my window will have so many eggs on it that a farmer would be jealous!" He gestured his arm, indicating for Melinda to come in. She did so, whilst laughing at his egg paranoia.

"So, how can I be of assistance?" Eli asked politely as he sat down at his desk, putting his feet up on top of it.

"Well, as tempting as your candy is, I'm here about something else."

"I'm guessing that you're not having trouble finding a Halloween costume…"

"You've guessed right." Melinda sighed. "I have ghostly troubles."

"Well just do what my Dad used to do."

Melinda tilted her head, wondering what he was talking about.

"Just turn off all the lights in your house, and if any trick or treaters come to the door ignore it. If they come back, release the hounds! . . . or in my Dad's case a Labrador, but hey, it could lick kids to death!"

Melinda giggled, "Okay, one… I don't own a dog. And two… it's not the Halloween kind of ghost."

"Ah…" Eli said, surprised for some reason.

"Well, this morning I saw a man in my house who was burnt on one half of his face."

"Oh my God, how did he get in? Did you call the police? Where…." Eli was rambling, but noticed the look on Melinda's face. "Oh I get it, he was dead… right, now it makes sense."

"Yeah, he was definitely a ghost, but he looked so burnt and injured that it scared me. I've never seen any spirits that actually looked as. . ."

"…Dead as him?" Eli finished her sentence.

"Exactly, and then in the shop afterwards I went to use the phone and it levitated and practically exploded!"

"Well, I thought that me buying the wrong kind of candy was an eventful morning on Halloween!" Eli said, shoving a handful of candy corn into his mouth.

"Do you know what that could mean? When the spirit looks so dead?"

He stood up and stretched his back, thinking of an answer to her question. "Well, the only thing I can think of is that he _wants _to look like that."

"What?" it wasn't the answer she was expecting.

"Well, when we die and come back we come back in the nicest way possible, in the hopes that our loved ones see us and aren't frightened. And obviously this guy came back and _wanted_ to be seen in such a horrible way."

"But why?"

"Well…" he began pacing the floor, "…to scare people, or someone in particular. To come back like that you gotta have a reason. You want too be seen like that for some purpose surely… but why?"

"Maybe he's angry with someone?"

"Perhaps, perhaps, but we won't know for sure until we hear from him again."

"Well I don't know when that will -" Melinda stopped in the middle of her sentence, her mouth dropped open. There, behind Eli, stood that man with the terribly disfigured and burnt face.

"Melinda? . . . Melinda? . . . He's right behind me, isn't he?"

Melinda nodded.

"I wish you would tell me these things! I can only hear them remember? Maybe if they breathed a little louder I would know when they were about!"

"Dead people don't breathe you moron!" The man said angrily.

Eli jumped with fright. "Of course Sir, how silly of me."

Melinda stood up slowly and looked into the man's eyes. They were filled with rage. "What do you want?"

"I want justice." The man said, gritting his teeth together.

"What's you're name? What happened to you?" Eli asked cautiously.

"My name's John Marshall. What's yours?"

"Eli James, nice to meet you."

"I'm Melinda Gordon."

"Oh I know who you are. _Everyone_ over here knows who you are."

Melinda felt overwhelmed by the thought of all Earth bound spirits knowing about her.

"How can we help you, John?" Melinda asked politely.

"I was killed in a house fire several days ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It happened in Alderton, just an hours drive from Grandview. The newspapers said that it was an accident. A pipe had broken allowing gas to pour into my property. And when I lit a cigarette… BOOM!"

Eli and Melinda both jumped when the man shouted, his angry voice echoing through out the room.

"I died almost instantly, or so they say. But I remember trying to get out of that place when the ceiling was falling down around me, and the flames were rising up like tidal waves. I was alive until it hurt to breathe, until the smoke blinded me, so NO! . . . It was _not_ instant."

"Are you mad at the doctors for saying you died instantly?" Eli asked curiously.

"Of course not, people make mistakes, but this fire was no mistake, no accident. That pipe didn't just break by itself!"

"Are you saying someone broke it on purpose?" Melinda wondered. The man nodded.

"Did he say yes?" Eli asked in a whisper. Melinda nodded.

"And I know who done it, and I will not leave this Earth until they have paid for what they done!"

The man clenched his fists together and stretched his mouth open, letting out a long and loud agonising roar of anger and pain. The spirit exploded into a cloud of black smoke and flames that appeared and disappeared just as suddenly. He was gone without a trace.

"Why do they always leave before they tell us the culprit?" Eli joked.

"Someone killed this man, and he has every right to be angry, but why would they kill him?"

Eli picked up his laptop and lifted the lid. "That my dear friend is where the internet comes into action!"

After a few minutes of searching the internet for recent house fire deaths in Alderton, Melinda and Eli found thousands of results.

"That one there! Click on that one." Melinda told Eli, pointing at the screen. Eli clicked on it and read out the newspaper article.

"_John Marshall, a professor at Alderton High, has died in a sudden and very tragic house fire. Police say that there are so far no suspicious circumstances or reasons to believe that the fire was started intentionally. It is believed that a gas pipe broke earlier in the day allowing gas to fill the house over a brief period of time, but long enough for it to be lethal, and when Mr Marshall came home and lit a cigarette his death was instant. His neighbours are devastated and say that John will be sorely missed. His wife, Lisa Marshall, had this to say, "I can't believe it. He's gone. It's so horrible. How can something like this happen to John? We were so happy." Police are continuing to survey the scene of the explosion for any clues as to possible foul play, but as of yet, it seems like just a tragic accident__._"

Melinda took a seat on the sofa next to the bowl of candy corn and took a handful. "That's so sad, but John's saying that it wasn't an accident."

"Yeah, and he kinda left at the perfect time. What does he think this is, Cluedo?"

"Well, let's just hope that he comes back again and gives us a bit more information… but you know what's funny?"

Eli closed his laptop and twirled round on his chair. "What?"

"A woman came into the store today looking for something to buy her in-laws. She said her husband had just died a few days ago and his funeral was coming up, and she wanted to get them a gift. She seemed pretty unaffected by the fact her husband had just died. She didn't even seem to care!"

"You don't think? . . ."

"Well it makes sense. He shows up in my house the day a widow shows up in Grandview."

"So you actually think it could be his wife."

"It fits, but I didn't even get her name or phone number. She was in and out in the space of 10 minutes."

"Did she buy something?"

"Yeah, a candle holder, why?"

"Well, what did she pay with?"

"A credit card . . ." Melinda grinned and pulled out her purse, raking through it for something. She brought out a small sheet of paper. ". . . And she didn't take the receipt!"

"What name is on that receipt?" Eli asked, rubbing his hands together impatiently.

Melinda read the name out in shock, "Lisa Marshall. . ."

Eli leaned back and cracked his knuckles, "Am I good or what?"


	4. Chapter 4

Melinda sat down with a thick phone book, almost a brick with the amount of pages that had been tightly packed together. She was hoping she could find a number for Lisa Marshall in here of the Alderton area. She was in her house again. It was getting dark outside and trick or treaters would be coming soon. Jim ran down the stairs with a dusty cardboard box in his hands, smiling like a kid.

"Look what I found!" He shouted excitedly.

Melinda got up and walked over to her husband who was opening the box very carefully, treating it like an ancient artefact.

"What is it?" Melinda asked curiously.

As the box opened, Melinda saw colours of green orange and black, and shapes of all sorts, made of paper and plastic. The letter 'H' caught her attention instantly.

"Halloween decorations?"

"Well yeah!" Jim stated "How else are the kids supposed to know that they should come here?"

"They're kids Jim… They know that everyone could be giving out candy, and they will leave _**no**_ door un-knocked!" She teased, bringing out a paper banner with the words, '**enter if you dare**' written across it.

"I'll start putting these up outside and you can get all the candy ready!" Jim was getting more and more energized as he took his plastic skeleton to hang on the front door.

Melinda was grinning widely at the sight of her husband getting into the spirit of things. She checked that all the bowls of treats were sitting ready on the kitchen counter and then went back to the phonebook. She had the whole fire incident playing in her mind. It looked like there was no break for Melinda Gordon, but she wanted to help this man. If it really was murder, then the killer had to be brought to justice.

She flicked through the pages, looking for the list of 'L' names. It was taking longer than she thought to find one name. She stopped at the first sight of the name 'Lisa' and scanned the endless pages of names.

Just then, Jim ran inside with a huge smirk on his face and whispered "They're here!" the doorbell rang out. Melinda jumped up and ran to the bowl of candy and the bowl of apples, carrying them to the door like a waitress. Jim went into the kitchen to help himself to the rest of the sweeties.

"Oh my! What do we have here!" She said merrily.

4 kids stood at the door. One dressed as a bunny. Another dressed as a cowboy. One boy was dressed as a vampire and a little girl was dressed as a ghost with a sheet placed over her.

"Wow! And are you a ghost?"

The little girl crossed her arms and answered, "No, I'm a pillow case!" In a very sarcastic and cheeky way.

"Oh, well… uhm… Do you have a joke?" She asked, feeling that they were tough little youngsters.

The cowboy raised his hand. "I do! I do!" He walked forward, clearing his throat. "Why didn't the skeleton jump off the cliff?"

"I have no idea!" Melinda told him, quite honestly.

"Because he never had the guts!" The little boy finished.

Melinda laughed a little at how cute they all were and the joke itself. It was quite funny. She held out the bowl of candy and the kids took a handful. She then held out the bowl of fruit and they were off!

She shut the door and saw Jim standing in the kitchen looking puzzled. "He never had the guts?... I don't get it." Melinda chuckled at his dullness and went over to the phonebook and was surprised by what she saw.

The book was opened at a page that Melinda knew she had not left it at. And not only that, but the name Lisa Marshall had been circled in what seemed to be a circular scorch mark on the paper. Melinda smiled slightly and whispered, "Thank you John."

She picked up the phone and was getting ready to call the woman, but she stopped herself and said, "You better not destroy this phone!"

She dialled the number that she could see had been marked out by the black smudge of ash.

The phone began to ring…

"Hello?" Lisa said on the other end.

"Hi, this is Melinda Gordon. You came into my Antique Shop earlier today."

"If this is about the fruit bowl that I picked up it already had a chip in it!" she added defensively.

"No, no, it's nothing like that. I was wondering if I could talk to you about John."

"John… Why?"

"I was talking to him and I think he wants me to talk to you."

"You were talking to him? When? Why didn't you talk to me today?"

"Because I only just-" Lisa done the usual thing and butted in, but she sounded furious.

"Oh, let me guess! You're his little bit on the side that I heard so much about? Well let me tell you something you little hussy, John's dead and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Lisa, you don't understand-"

"Oh no, I understand exactly how he betrayed me! And I hope you understand this, if I can't have him, well, now it looks like none of us can!" And Lisa hung up abruptly.

Melinda couldn't believe it. John was cheating on Lisa. Well that gave Lisa a reason to want to kill him, but it still didn't mean she did. Either way, things weren't looking goof for this bitterly angry widow . . .


	5. Chapter 5

"Have a good night!" Melinda shouted as the last group of trick or treaters walked away from the porch. She was all out of candy, but she had plenty of apples. She walked tiredly to the sofa and slumped down onto it, feeling exhausted.

"What a day!" Melinda yawned. Jim stood above her and scooped her up in his strong arms. Melinda wrapped her arms around his neck and caressed his face with her hand, feeling his perfectly chiselled features and stubble. "I'm so lucky to have you." She whispered lovingly, her lips just inches away from his.

They began to approach the bedroom, "I'm lucky to have you too, Melinda. You mean everything to me." He lay her down on the bed gently and loomed over her, his shadow cast over the bed like a shroud of protection. He reached down and pressed his lips against her. She in return passionately kissed him back and ran her fingers throw his dark hair.

She brought her hands down and began to un-button his shirt, revealing his muscular, hair covered torso. He pulled at her dress straps and began to slowly take her dress off. Melinda shivered with pleasure at the sensation of Jim's strong hands feeling her body slowly and softly with his fingertips. She opened her eyes to look into the deep brown of her lover's gaze. She saw him looking down at her, his eyes filled with affection and care.

He picked her up one more time to take her further along on the bed to rest her flowing locks of brown hair on the pillows. Melinda had both her legs around his waist and her head resting on his shoulder. She opened an eye and caught a glimpse of John standing in the hallway, His horrid face staring at the couple as they embraced in a moment of lust.

Melinda waved her hand in a motion as if to say, "_Not now!" _but John wasn't budging. His face looked intense and filled with fury. The wallpaper in the hallway began to feel away and flames began to rise up from the floor boards. The lights flickered and went out, with the furious spirit standing amidst the devastation.

"Jim…" Melinda said softly as he began to remove her bra, kissing her body adoringly. He grumbled.

"Jim, I'm just going to the bathroom, you wait here and get ready for me coming back." She said, watching the fire in her home slowly vanish as John looked more at ease.

"Okay my love." He kissed her lips one more time and rolled off of her, resting his head on the pillow. She jumped up and fixed her bra, racing down the hall to the bathroom. She ran straight through John and slammed the bathroom door behind her.

"What do you want? I'm kind of busy in case you haven't noticed." She said sternly, sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

"Yes, I did notice, and I must say you look magnificent!" He was staring at her chest. She blushed and pulled a towel off the rail and placed it over her.

"I spoke to your wife." She said, wrapping the towel around her body.

"And? . . ."

"She assumed that I was your mistress. She sounded really angry. Were you cheating on her?"

"And what if I was?" He said, sounding rather un-caring.

"That's your wife! You can't cheat on your wife! Do wedding vows mean nothing to you?"

"I know she's my wife, but she didn't care about the fact that I was her husband. She treated me like a slave. 'John, take the dog for a walk' 'John, do the dishes for me' 'John, I need a massage!'" He imitated her voice, making it annoyingly high pitched and whiney.

"So she wanted you to do some stuff for her? That isn't a crime! It's called pulling your own weight and being a devoted husband."

"Well she never thanked me! She never did anything for me!"

"And she killed you because you were cheating on her?"

"Yes!"

"Well then I'll go to the police and inform them."

"But…" John took a seat on the toilet. "I'm not sure…"

"What do you mean you're not sure?" Melinda crossed her arms. "I thought you saw who broke the pipe?"

"I did, well, I thought I did… I don't remember! Do dead people have memories?"

"Well they must if you can remember all your wives faults."

"Well I think she did it."

"You can't just guess things like that! And I need solid proof if this wasn't an accident."

"Well it wasn't an accident! I know that much! I can't die with people thinking this was an accident! They'll find out the truth eventually! Someone needs to pay for this!" And he was gone in a puff of black smoke and orange sparks.

Melinda walked out of the bathroom, trying to get her head around that startling conversation. Jim was lying on the bed in just his underwear, his strong, hairy, masculine body exposed for Melinda to do whatever her heart desired. He had his hands behind his head and was smiling cheekily.

"You ready, sweetheart?" he asked, winking.

Melinda nodded, admiring the gorgeous man that lay before her. She crawled onto the bed and rested her head on him, stroking his chest lovingly.

"I heard you talking." He said, playing with her hair.

"Yeah, just someone asking for help."

"We should get a _**Do Not Disturb**_ sign for the bedroom door." Jim kidded.

Melinda laughed and looked up at the mirror on her dresser. In long, shaky letters were the words, "_**It wasn't an accident**_" in red lipstick. Jim followed her startled gaze and saw the writing on the mirror.

"Who wrote that?"

"Don't ask, please, just don't ask!" Melinda sighed, trying to ignore the blood like lettering.

"Is this ghost bothering you?"

Melinda sat up and put her hands in Jim's hands. "No, no, he's not troubling me…. But his wife could be an issue. . ."


	6. Chapter 6

"You did what?" Delia asked Melinda in a shocked voice.

"I called her…" She turned her back and went innocently to dust the antiques.

"You called her? What… to accuse her of killing her husband?"

"I never even got a chance! She started telling me that I was John's secret love affair."

"She did?"

"Yeah, and then later that night John showed up and admitted that he did have an affair with someone, and didn't seem to care about it."

"Well, she doesn't seem to mind that he's dead, he doesn't seem to care that he cheated on her… Match made in heaven!" Delia clapped her hands together and shuffled away into the back room.

"Yeah, but we just need to get this guy to heaven, and that's the problem!"

"How come?"

"He's just so…. Stubborn! He doesn't actually have any idea who broke that gas pipe, but he's determined to get someone blamed for it."

"And do you think someone did break it on purpose?" Delia walked back through with a small box in her hands.

"Well he seems to think so. I just don't know why he can't accept it was an accident and move on."

Just then, the bell above the shop door began ringing. Melinda looked round and saw Lisa walking into the store with a furious glare on her face.

"Who do you think you are?" She screamed, pointing a finger at Melinda.

"Okay, you have got this all wrong!" Melinda said calmly, raising her hands.

"Oh do I?"

"Yeah, because I never even met your husband, let alone sleep with him behind your back!"

"Then why did you tell me you had spoke to him? Obviously you've met him!"

"Well, yes, I have… but I only met him yesterday."

Lisa suddenly went paler than she already was, her eyes flew open and her jaw dropped. "That's impossible, John's dead! He died days ago!"

"I know, and I know how crazy this must sound, but I have a gift."

Lisa stared at her in disbelief. "A gift?..."

"I can talk to those that have passed away, and I've spoke to your husband."

Tears began to build up in Lisa's eyes. Surely not the emotion of a cold blooded killer?

"What did he say?"

Melinda turned round to look at Delia. Delia shuffled away into the back room again, not wanting to get involved in such confusing matters that she herself hardly understood.

Melinda tried to soften the blow that knowing the truth would give. "Well… he told me that the pipe breaking was not an accident."

"He told you that?" Lisa looked stunned.

"Yes, and he wants me to find out who did it."

"Wait… he doesn't know who done it, but he knows it wasn't an accident?"

Melinda laughed slightly, "That's what I said, but he's… he's…"

"Stubborn?"

Melinda nodded and smiled.

"He always was. That's just who he is. He was always right, and could never be blamed for something. He was too proud." Lisa looked at the floor distantly, thinking back on the man she had lost.

"No matter how proud he is… was… he seems almost certain that someone purposely cause the gas to leak into his house. Do you know anyone who would do that?"

Lisa looked as if she was thinking for a moment. "No, not at all. And I was with my parents for that whole day so I have an alibi which the police have already confirmed." She added protectively.

"I believe you." Said Melinda. "I can see it in your eyes. You look innocent. That's enough for me."

"Maybe you should find that little whore of his! She might have something to do with all of this!" Lisa hissed aggressively at the thought of John's secret affair.

Suddenly, Melinda felt a presence behind her. "She's right." Said John.

"About what?" Melinda asked, making no attempt to hide the fact that it looked like she was talking to herself.

"It could've been Amy!"

"Who's Amy?" Melinda asked curiously.

"Are you talking to John?" Lisa asked hopefully.

Melinda nodded and Lisa stood forward assertively, looking about the room as if she was chasing shadows. She raised a pointed finger and shouted, "Yes John, who is Amy? Is that the slut you went about with behind my back?"

Melinda had never seen a wife having a domestic with her dead husband. She looked at John and he nodded, looking guilty. Melinda looked at Lisa's bitter face and nodded, confirming Lisa's suspicions.

"Tell us where she lives! I'll rip her hair out with my bare hands you two faced, backstabbing worthless piece of crap!" Lisa was roaring at the walls and ceiling clenching her fists and grinding her teeth. John was standing behind Melinda, still keeping his distance. Even in death he feared for his life.

"John, where does Amy live?" Melinda whispered under the deafening threats of Mrs Marshall.

"She lives…. She lives…. 38 Ambrosia Drive."

"John says that she lives at 38 Ambrosia Drive."

Lisa looked at Melinda with an ill and disgusted look. She now looked utterly shocked beyond belief.

"That Amy, John?... That Amy?"

"Do you know her?" Melinda questioned.

"Know her?... She's my sister!" A single tear trickled down Lisa's cheek.

Melinda looked at John in disappointment. With that look he was gone.

Melinda handed Lisa a cup of tea and sat down with her, whilst Delia struggled to set up the new phone for the back room.

"I can't believe that he would sleep with my sister! Who the hell does he think he is?"

"I am so sorry. This must be a lot for you to take in."

"A death, a secret revealed and the discovery of the afterlife… I think I have a lot on my plate to be honest!" She laughed quietly to herself and stared into the swirling depths of her tea.

"Would you like me to go talk to her?" Melinda offered.

"I think that would be best. If I go I'd punch her so hard that she won't need to get that face lift she's been going on about."

"And she lives at that address in Alderton?"

Lisa nodded solemnly. "She's been in prison for attempted murder before by the way, but she's a good liar. Got off on all charges. That's probably why she's been able to keep this bombshell a secret!"

"She has been arrested for attempted murder?"

"Hell yeah! Of course she won't tell you that… she'll tell you what she told every lawyer and jury!"

Melinda guessed, "Self defence?"

"Yup." She took a sip of her tea. It was strange seeing her look so vulnerable. Her perfect hair falling out of place and her neatly applied mascara smudged and trailing down her face in watery grey lines.

"Can you think of any reasons why she would want to kill your husband?"

"Well, people were finding out about John's affair. They didn't know who he was doing it _with_, but they knew, and Amy was probably scared and done the one thing she's good at… trying to kill people… only this time it worked… John's dead!" Lisa lowered her head and rested it in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. It was probably the first time she had really mourned his loss.

Melinda watched as she cried, not knowing what to do. Now it seemed that Lisa was the victim.

"Delia, can you stay with Lisa while I go out?"

"Sure, but, you're not going to her sister's house, are you?"

Melinda shrugged her shoulders and smiled guiltily.

"Melinda! You can't just ask people if they murdered someone! And even if you did, they probably won't be so quick to admit it."

"Well, it's worth a shot." She got up and put on her coat. "Just keep her here! She can't come with me to her sister's house! I don't want 2 murders to deal with…"


	7. Chapter 7

Melinda drove into the street. The orange leaves that had fallen from the almost naked trees swirled around her car as she entered the gates of the street. The houses looked quite posh, but all of them were identical. The gates shut and opened automatically behind her as she drove further into the maze of miniature mansions. She repeated the address in her mind over and over again, surveying the buildings for the right one, "38 Ambrosia Drive… 38 Ambrosia Drive"

Eventually she found the house. Like the rest, it was about 2 stories tall, with granite pillars on the porch and intricate carvings on the doors, the walls of the structure painted a dazzling white and the large bay-view windows gleaming on the lower floor, which looked out over a long stretch of flowery green garden. And of course, there in front of Melinda as she walked up towards the house, was a white picket fence. It was the American dream house!

Melinda approached the front door, the stain glass window glittering all the colours of the rainbow and the detailed carvings of grapevines and cherubs adorned the door frame. She pressed the doorbell and waited… and waited… and waited. Just then the door opened and a man walked out buttoning up his shirt. He raced right past Melinda almost knocking her down. Then Amy came to the door in a silk night gown and shouted, "Same time next week, Ross?"

"Hello, my name's Melinda Gordon." Melinda said timidly, wondering if she had interrupted an important meeting.

"Hey, sorry about that. He thought that you were his wife." Amy stated, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, so you have a habit of sleeping with men who are married?"

Instead of being shocked or insulted, she looked almost proud of her status. "What can I say? They just can't resist me."

"I was wondering if I could talk to you about John?" Melinda asked cautiously.

"What about him? He's dead now. Surely the rumours can just stop!" She went to shut the door, but Melinda put her hand against it keeping it open.

"I've been speaking with him, and he feels that his death wasn't an accident."

The door slowly began to open, revealing a shocked looking Amy. She was her sisters exact double, but blonde. "You can talk to dead people?"

Melinda nodded. "And I've been talking to John. He really is convinced that his death was not an accident."

The insulted look appeared across the flawless model like face. "And he thinks I killed him?"

"He really is not sure. He's thinking of all the possible culprits."

"Well ask my sister, Lisa! They've been arguing like cats and dogs for the past few months. That's why he came running to me."

"The police already spoke to your sister. She was visiting your parents on the day he died."

"Well I didn't do it. Why would I?"

"That's what I'm here to find out."

Amy rolled her eyes and sighed. She opened the door wider. "You'd better come in then."

Melinda walked into the house, admiring the spiralling marble stairs and the high ceilings with their chandeliers. This family was definitely born into wealth, unless Amy got it from the men she slept with…

"You have a wonderful home Amy." Melinda told her, heading through to the living room.

"Thank you. I take great pride in my home."

"It must have cost a lot."

"It certainly did."

"Do you work?"

Amy chuckled. "Do I work? Of course not! I get my money from my parents."

"Do they mind giving you so much money?" Melinda couldn't imagine her parents being so generous, even if they _were_ so rich, although Melinda had been raised to know the value of money and not to rely on others for it.

"They don't mind. They know I'm not really a people person, so most jobs just don't suit me."

"Not really a people person?"

"Yeah… I used to work in Burger King, and if people were too slow in deciding what they wanted to eat I would start yelling at them to hurry up or just order for them, which made them mad and made my boss mad and yadda yadda yadda bla bla bla… I got fired!"

"I've heard about your… brush with the law…" Melinda said timidly, taking a seat on the luxurious sofa.

Amy sighed. "Oh, you mean the accusations of 'attempted murder' right?"

"They're more than accusations. You were put on trial, Amy."

"Yes, and then cleared of all charges. And besides, it was all in…"

"Self defence?" Melinda finished her sentence.

"Well yes… and no one actually died! So I don't see the problem."

"Well John's dead."

"And I never killed him."

"Where were you the day he died?"

"I was here… with Ross." She smiled, twirling her hair with her finger.

"Ross? The man that just left?"

"Yeah. He's so hot! He works out every day and owns a gym, and he's got such a big…"

Melinda held up a hand, "Stop right there… I think I can guess what you were going to say."

"I was going to say a big sum in his wallet, but…"

"He's wealthy?"

"He's loaded! He lives a few houses away, but his wife's at work round about this time. All the people in this street are swimming in green!"

"It looks like it… So were you here alone?"

"Yes, so I don't have an alibi… although to be honest I never thought I'd need company that day for back up in case my secret lover died." She added snappily.

"Have the police interviewed you?"

"No… no one knew it was me that he was sleeping with behind Lisa's back… until today because John actually told you." Amy looked impressed by Melinda's gift.

"Well they'd better get here fast!" shouted an angry voice behind Melinda's shoulder, causing her to jump.

"Are you okay?" asked Amy, standing up worriedly and walking over to Melinda.

"I just got a fright, that's all."

Amy blushed and pulled down her dress. "I didn't think it was that short…"

"No, I mean… John's here."

"Really? . . . you arrogant pig! Accusing me of murder?"

John snorted with laughter, "I wouldn't be the first…"

Amy continued her rant, similar to her sister. "I was here all day! And why would I kill you? You were the best ride I'd ever had!"

"Everyone knew about us! Face it!"

"John's saying that everyone knew about the two of you."

"No they never! No one knew! People in the street knew he was my brother in law and thought nothing of it! He's a teacher, and I told people he was helping me with Math. I always did suck at it."

"She's right; she did suck at maths… and other things…." He added suggestively.

Melinda held up her index finger to thin air to silence him for a minute, whilst listening to Lisa.

"Me and John were keeping it very secret, he was good at keeping secret's, and that's a fact! No one knew about us, and even if they did, I wouldn't just kill him off! This is real life, not a soap opera! And besides, you said it yourself, John doesn't know who broke the pipe, if someone even _did_ break the pipe, and he just wants to blame someone, so no wonder he's blaming me."

"Well it makes sense Melinda. She's my secret lover and… and…"

"And what John? No one knew! Why can't you just accept that this was an accident? You even blamed your wife, now is that realistic?" Melinda asked.

"He blamed Lisa? Wow he really is blaming everyone isn't he? He'll be blaming the little 99 year old lady down the road in a minute!" Lisa chuckled.

"She knew about the affair." Melinda warned Amy.

"She doesn't know it was me though, trust me! If she did I would be the spirit on your shoulder!" Amy laughed.

"Ah…." Melinda sighed nervously.

"What?"

"Well, Amy… Lisa knows that it was you now."

"What? How?"

"I asked her about the affair and John appeared and one thing led to another and John told her… well, me… and then I had to tell her."

"Oh my god! She knows?" Amy asked, looking terrified. Melinda nodded quietly.

"John, you may have been a good man to bed every now and then, but you are just a loser! You died! Get over it! It was all an accident and you need to realize that! I'm sorry your dead, but I won't have you ruin me and my sister's relationship from beyond the grave! Why did you tell her you moron?"

John stepped back shyly. "I had to tell her."

"He said he had to tell Lisa." Melinda told Amy, being John's link to the living world.

"Why?" Amy was almost crying.

"Because she's my wife, and I cheated on her and then left her. I owed her the truth. That was the least I could do." And then he faded into thin air.

"He had to tell her because he felt bad for cheating on her and… _leaving her_." Melinda was confused by the last part. Leaving her? It wasn't like he left her. He died a tragic accidental death. He didn't have a say in the matter. The poor man must feel very guilty.

"I think you'd better go Melinda. I have some tidying up to do." Amy said bluntly, looking distant.

Melinda stood up and headed for the door, "I'm sorry for dropping in on you like this. I feel compelled to help him and all spirits that come to me for help, but I think he just can't believe he's dead, and over such a simple thing as a broken gas pipe and lighting a cigarette."

"It's horrible and tragic, and I feel for him, I do, but he can't start asserting his authority around now that he's dead and think that we'll bow down to his superiority! And now my sister hates me all because of him! I mean, he didn't have to tell her!"

"Yes, but you didn't have to sleep with him Amy, did you? If anyone's messed up your sisterly bond with Lisa… you're just as much at fault as him." Melinda told her, and then walked off towards her car.

Amy pondered on that thought for a second and then shut the door, her face solemn, but thinking…


	8. Chapter 8

"So do you think it was her?" Delia questioned, with a cup of tea in one hand, and a cookie in the other. Lisa was sitting in the back of the shop, trying to take in everything she had been told and learned over the past few days. Delia had made sure that she didn't leave the shop in a rage or else Amy's funeral would be next.

"No, I don't… but that's not because she seemed innocent, or because she had an alibi, which she didn't… she just didn't seem cold enough to kill someone."

"Maybe she thought people knew about the affair?"

"That's the thing, she said that no one knew anything about an affair or suspected anything between her and John… but John on the other hand thought that people did know."

"Well people know now!" Lisa yelled from inside the back room.

"I'm starting to think that John just can't accept the fact that it was a stupid mistake that caused his death. It's like Lisa said, he's stubborn… he can't admit when he's wrong."

Suddenly, as Melinda spoke, she noticed everything around her changing. The walls began to shake and crumble, and the windows smashed, but almost in slow motion. As the glass shards flew out of the window pane, they floated gracefully around the room like stars. The walls were gone now, and trees were forcing there way out of the ground. Each floor tile seemed to have a tree grow from it until there was nothing but trees. Delia vanished, the shop disappeared, and Melinda now stood alone, in a cold forest, in the middle of nowhere. The odd thing was, as this all took place, Melinda stood calmly where she was and watched all this happen around her. She was used to being transported in her mind to other places. She was used to it all now…

"John, do you want to tell me where I am?" she called out, her voice echoing through the endless rows of towering trees and stretched onwards for as far as the eye could see.

John stood forth from behind one of the trees and looked at Melinda, a glum expression on his face. No rage, fury or anxiety, just a dead blankness. He pointed to somewhere amongst the trees. Melinda followed his gaze, but saw nothing through the dense growth of forest around her. Then, exactly where he was pointing, the trees began to bend into each other and create and arch, the leaves on the ground scattered in a sudden wind that ran through Melinda's brunette hair. As the leaves on the forest floor cleared, a bright green pathway was revealed, leading through the arching trees above. Melinda looked at John, who wasn't looking at her, but instead, down the grassy green carpet. Melinda started walking forward down this pathway which had been made for her. She didn't know what to expect, but she had nothing to fear. This was all in her mind. The further down she walked, the brighter everything seemed to get. The closer she got to the end, the more she could hear countless voices whispering around her, growing louder by the second until they were shouting voices in a crowd. The light was intense now. Melinda shut her eyes and raised her arms as she entered the light, feeling its glowing warmth. She walked into the glittering white abyss… and then there was silence.

When Melinda opened her eyes she was staring at the ceiling of her shop.

"Melinda! Are you alright? Should I call an ambulance?" Delia asked in a panicked voice. Lisa had rushed out from the back of the store and was watching in shock.

"Is she okay?" Lisa asked, genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine, honestly… did I collapse?"

"Yes!" Delia shouted, her voice shaking. She helped Melinda over to a chair.

"I had a vision… at least… I think it was… it was the most real and intense vision I've ever had."

"That might explain why you fainted." Lisa pointed out, bringing her over a glass of water.

"It might I guess… John was there."

"What did he say? Anything else I should know about?" she clenched her fist.

"No… not really. He didn't say anything. I think I woke up before he could."

"Did he show you anything?" Delia asked.

"Well, I was in a forest, and there were trees…"

"Wow! And I thought talking to ghosts was exciting… Trees in a forest? What next? Water in the sea?" Lisa added sarcastically.

"And then a row of trees bent over to create and arch over a green stretch of grass… It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen… and there was a blinding white light."

As Melinda spoke, Lisa grew quiet and listened intently. "Trees, arching over a green path? . . . That's the school badge of Alderton High… the Arch of the Forest… It's meant to represent finding your way out of any problem."

"Didn't John work there?" Delia asked Melinda. She nodded.

Lisa jumped up and threw on her coat, "Well he obviously wants you to go there! C'mon, I'll give you a ride." She was already making her way to the door.

"Delia, I won't be long. Will you be alright in the shop on your own?"

"I always am… Just don't work yourself too hard with this one…"

And Melinda and Lisa were gone, leaving Delia on her own… as per usual.

After what seemed like an hour in the car they approached the school at last. The large sign by the school gates should exactly what Melinda had seen in an artistic fashion. Instead of real trees, with brown bark and twisting branches, these trees and the grassy road were made up of basic geometric shapes and patterns, but it was still exactly like in her vision. The building itself looked old, with red brick walls and tall windows, overlooking a concrete playground, it's floor covered with children's chalk scribbles and hop-scotch games. Lisa parked the car outside the gates, the car park was around the back, but Lisa had parked just before the prestigious yet tired looking rusty gates.

"This is where I used to drop off John when I drove him into work." She stared at the gates, almost lovingly, her bottom lip trembling.

Melinda put her hand on Lisa's, who was gripping the wheel tightly. "He still loves you… he's just confused."

"And how do you know that?" Lisa scoffed.

Melinda looked behind her and looked at John who had just whispered the words into her ear a moment ago. "Because he just told me."

Lisa smiled and looked into the rear view mirror. "I love you too John, so much… but why can't you keep it in your pants?" she said, jokingly, but honestly.

Once they were out of the car they made there way through the gates and into the schoolyard itself. Melinda asked herself, "Why would he want me to come to his place of work? What did John know or suspect that he wasn't telling her?"

They got to the doors of the school, and John appeared, looking solemn. He placed a hand on the door and pushed it open for the two women. Lisa gasped. "Wow! I had no idea the installed automatic doors in this old school!"

The school was ancient, built in 1920 and still in use. The walls were grey and crumbling, and the floors were a plain wooden finish, although it's natural brown colour was greying, and the lockers were dented and rusting, the shining silver turning a dull grey. The school was very grey.

"What does John want you to find here?" Lisa asked, leading the way to the school office.

"I have absolutely no idea… I'm hoping that's what we'll find out."

Just then, an old man wearing a tired looking suit and a bright red tie came charging out of a classroom looking flustered. He saw Lisa and immediately composed himself, straightening the brightest thing in the building… his tie.

"Miss Marshall? I am so sorry to hear about John, and I am able to make it to the funeral, of course."

Lisa stood firmly, looking strong behind her fortress of make up and hairspray and expensive clothes. Behind it all was a grieving widow… she was just hard to see.

"Thank you, I am glad you can make it. Melinda, this is Mr Horn, the principal of Alderton High."

Mr Horn held out a hand to Melinda. "Please, call me Christopher!" he smiled pleasantly, his bald head and white beard shining in the dim corridor.

Melinda took his hand and shook it politely. "Nice to meet you…" and then she was speechless. She didn't know what to say. She had no idea why she was there. She was chasing shadows. Lisa sensed her dilemma and helped out.

"We're just here to look for something in John's classroom."

Mr Horn stood aside and signalled to the room he had just walked out of. "Be my guest." And they walked in. Mr Horn walked in behind them and shouted out a few last words to the class.

"I'm going to get a coffee! Behave while I'm gone!" the teenagers stared at him disinterestedly. Christopher's stressed face had come back. He shut the door on Lisa and Melinda, leaving them alone with the wild life that this zoo had to offer.

"Haven't you taken everything that belonged to John out of here yet?" Melinda whispered.

"Oh yes, I have… but maybe you'll pick something up in here."

One of the kids raised a hand. Then another, and then two more, and then several started whispering, looking at Lisa like she had something on her face.

"Yes?" Lisa asked. "And by the way, I'm not a teacher, so you can talk." She giggled… they stayed silent.

One boy plucked up some courage and asked, "Are you Professor Marshall's wife?"

Lisa nodded, "I am… I hope I looked alright on the News." She joked. Several kids laughed under their breaths, not knowing what to say.

A girl stood up and opened her bag. She brought out a Daffodil and walked to the front of the class and handed it over to Lisa. "Mr Marshall told us one day when we were studying plants that these were his favourite. I was gonna leave it on his desk, but…"

Lisa looked down at the bright yellow flower, alive and fresh laying in her hands like a new born child. "Thank you, that's very kind." The girl smiled and went back to her seat.

Melinda stayed silent for a moment before asking, "Is it alright if I walk around? Try and get a feeling of something." Lisa nodded.

She walked over to the blackboard. Some writing was still on it. A date for homework to be completed by. It was from weeks ago, so was obviously John's writing. The big letters reminded Melinda of the writing in lipstick that had appeared on her mirror the other night. She turned around and saw his desk. A huge chunk of wood and metal that dominated the front of the class, it's walls brought to life with colourful illustrations of the human anatomy and pie charts, drawn and labelled by his classes. She took a seat in his chair, which swivelled slightly as she sat down on it. The class looked at her in shock. "That's his seat!" they thought. Suddenly, Melinda wasn't in her own body.

The class was the same, but they looked different. The weather outside was different. Lisa was gone. She looked round at the bored. The writing was gone. She looked at her hands. They were manly hands. Strong, rough hands, hairy knuckles. She was wearing a long sleeved purple shirt. A girl raised her hand.

"Mr Marshall? What do we need to copy from the text book?" she stared right at Melinda as she spoke.

Melinda couldn't believe it. She was John… for now anyway… She was reliving a memory. On his desk were a line of cards. They were all wishing him a happy birthday, all joking about him being old, a large number 40 written across some of them. Out of her control, he swiped the cards off of the table, and with his other hand pulled the drawer of his table open and pulled out bottle of pills. She stopped him with all the might in her body and read the label.

"ANTI-DEPRESSANTS… take 1 daily" . . . he took out two and swallowed them.

And just as quickly as she had been transported into him, she was back… with a whole new view of John. He was depressed? What about? Did Lisa know? This was a major break through… but why did he how Melinda that? What did it all mean?


End file.
